Still growling and eyeing Dan with deep hate, the dog allowed his master to grasp him by the leash.
“Quite a vicious dog you have there,” Brad said, edging away. “He might have taken a chunk out of Dan.”
“Rudy isn’t vicious,” the blindman denied. “Now and then he takes a dislike to someone. Usually he won’t attack unless he’s annoyed.”
“That’s encouraging,” Dan said with a wry grin. “Believe me, in the future I’ll take pains not to annoy him.”
Without apologizing for the incident, the blindman took the dog and went off down the wharf. For a long while, the Cubs could hear his cane tapping on the planks.
“Joe Matt isn’t a bad sort after you know him,” the watchman remarked, aware that the Cubs had not been favorably impressed by the man’s manners. “Being blind would make anyone out-of-sorts, I guess.”
“Sure,” Brad agreed. “I suppose he’s attached to that dog—though he’s an ugly animal. Wouldn’t want to meet him on a dark night.”
“You can bet I’ll give him a wide berth,” Dan added with a laugh. “Rudy didn’t go for me. And the feeling’s mutual! By the way, Hank, how long have you known Joe Matt?”
“Oh, I don’t remember,” the watchman replied indifferently, knocking the ashes from his pipe. “Six months maybe. Well, I’ve been spinning yarns long enough. Got to do a little work now.”
Accepting the remark as a dismissal, Dan, Brad and Midge said goodbye, and left the warehouse. At the bus line, they debated, and finally decided to make an appearance at the Cave.